Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Obtest > Iš kartos į kartą > Reviews
Obtest - Iš kartos į kartą

Get pillaged while smiling! - 86%

Lane, May 29th, 2021

Lithuanian heathen war metallers Obtest are on the attack on their 3rd studio album. The band started back in 1992, inspired by the then new second wave of black metal, but good ol' heavy metal was the first fascination with the extreme music for these guys.

'Iš kartos į kartą' is reportedly the most heavy metal inspired Obtest work to the date. The black metal roots are very audible in the music. Colder tones of the music are often accompanied by the epic heavy metal melodies and at times the wondrous twin guitar attacks lift the epic feel to the skies. However, the compositions are straight throughtout the album, never reaching the 6-minute mark.

Obtest perform with basic line-up, meaning the vocals, the guitars, the bass and the drums. The band are on energetic attacking gear. The songs are fast, only on the closer the band loosen a bit. The playing is tight, the guitars are everywhere as is the drummer; he's delivering the double kick drum or the blastbeat attacks almost all the time, but manages to color up the beats with some small tricks. During the first few spins the album seemed badly limited, but soon the band's fistbanging attitude and small varying elements in the songs began treacherously affecting my mind. Still, sometimes listening the whole album at once makes me feel somewhat numb. Another thing is, that sometimes those epic and soaring "pagan" melodies are quite familiar, for example with German Thuringian bands. Some of melodiousness reminds of Iron Maiden; loads of guitar harmonics owe to heavy metal of the yore. Even with these traits Obtest sound so unflinching, that they manage to hammer in their metal. And there are no pipes, flutes, choir vocals, which are the biggest clichés of pagan metal style nowadays.

Sound-wise the album is good enough. The sound has a feeling of old, but also carries the modern punch. While the rhythm guitar has the bite, it also has a bassy sound, which might make it sound a tad muddy. Might also be distorted bass, as I think I'm hearing it, down there. There really are no real problems in the sound department. The vocal style is rough-ish clean voice/shout with some gravitation towards the melody. Lithuanian language sound both exotic and good in my Finnish ears. The releases includes the English translations of the lyrics and prologue, plus beautiful pictures from Lithuanian nature. The themes are linked to "from generation to generation, or a long journey from the past", including pagan gods, wars etc.

'Iš Kartos Į Kartą' is the first Obtest experience for me, but not the last one for sure. The album might be a tad limited, but if it's this well entertaining, it doesn't really matter. This is one bloody good, gutsy war metal attack anyway!!!

(Originally written for ArchaicMetallurgy.com)

Obtest... Ob-awesome - 95%

Basilisk, May 22nd, 2009

Legendary Lithuanian pagan black metallers Obtest return with this, their third full-length album; “Is Kartos I Karta” and it is no disappointment. Compared to their last album they have really cleaned up the production, which is now tight and clear, but the atmosphere of the music is still largely the same.

The music can be called black metal with a flavour of Lithuanian folk that pervades through in the melodies of the music as there are no folk instruments used. At times the music is dark, but it is also capable of being somewhat upbeat, which can most likely be attributed to the folk influence that lurks behind the harsh spitting and spewing black metal front.

The style of the music is consistent but every song follows its own distinct pattern and melody. The guitar work is great; the instruments succeed in evading flat-sounding music and are capable of creating some really majestic melodies. The vocals are pretty good; sung entirely in Lithuanian, they are throaty and harsh, but the sort of chanted hymns are where they really come through in creating a satisfying harmony with the music.

Obtest is definitely a band worth checking out if you are at all partial to the genre. “Is Kartos I Karta” is a great album with improved production and original, well-executed songs. My favourite songs on this album are tracks 2, 3, and 4. I highly recommend this.

www.beyondallremorse.co.uk review - 80%

BeyondAllRemorse, February 7th, 2006

When you think of Lithuania, you possibly wouldn't automatically associate the place with a thriving metal scene, but the truth of the matter is that the nation seems to be quite literally overflowing with sheer quality.

Enter Obtest then, who lay claim to the Heathen War Metal tag and proceed to take the genre by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shake up. Just why bands need sub genres is beyond me, but I guess it helps with their classification and such like. To be fair, this wouldn't specifically fit under the Death or Black metal banner anyway, yet fans of both will undoubtedly salivate at what this band have produced here.

Pure quality from start to finish with blistering guitar lines that buzz away with a pure intensity, coursing over a rhythm section that is on a one way charge straight from the gates of hell and have no intention of letting up until the band have created a maelstrom over their bleak and desolate homelands plains. Serious melody ebbs from the dueling guitars, all over the clever structures bringing to mind Iron Maiden at times, yet this band are far from the overall sound they produce. Heathen War Metal it may be called, but to me this is just sheer quality. So much so that I would even go as far to say that this album is in my top five of the year.